Sakura Haruno: Sasuke's Captive
by Starfire93
Summary: Fighting to gain power, a mysterious injury leads Sasuke to take Sakura as his hostage. As Sasuke's captive, will Sakura finally get Sasuke to discover his true feelings for her or will Naruto still be the one to save the Uchiha heir from the darkness within?
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

"I don't understand!" Sasuke growled as he clutched his hand, searing pain shooting through his burned arm.

Since leaving Konoha some years ago, his lessons with Orochimaru had been going quite well.

Mostly.

Recently, Sasuke's dark sensei had been attempting to teach him a strong, new jutsu, but for some reason, every time Sasuke tried to practice it, it backfired.

His hand and arm ended up being painfully burned, as if something were stopping him from learning the new skill, from moving forward.

As Sasuke crouched, gritting his teeth from both pain and frustration, Orochimaru eyed his star pupil closely.

"Hmm…" The snake sannin purred in thought. "I think you should…...pause for a bit, Sasuke. For introspection."

Sasuke growled as he looked up at Orochimaru. "What are you talking about?"

"It's either in your mind…...or your heart….." Orochimaru scowled. "But something is prohibiting you…..That's why you can't complete the jutsu. That's why you can't move forward."

"I don't have time for 'introspection'!" Sasuke snarled.

No, all these years, the Uchiha heir had been in quite a rush to become as powerful as possible so he could take revenge on his brother, Itachi.

Sasuke believed that was his only desire.

Truthfully, Orochimaru had hoped so, but with this….this new development….

The snake sannin was beginning to have doubts.

Perhaps Sasuke was not what Orochimaru was looking for after all?

Hmm…...

First, though, before Orochimaru jumped to conclusions, he needed Sasuke to examine himself and find the true cause.

Sasuke was stubborn.

He would need a push.

Orochimaru turned on his heel and began to walk back towards his newest hideout. "Oh dear…...what a shame. I thought you were different, Sasuke. I see now that you are as simple and as close-minded as everyone else. If you refuse to help yourself advance, you cannot possibly acquire the power to defeat Itachi. What a waste of talents like yours…"

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Orochimaru was leaving….

He was going to leave Sasuke!

How would he ever defeat Itachi without…?!

"Wait!" Sasuke gasped loudly, still clutching his arm.

Orochimaru stopped.

The sannin did not turn around, but he did smirk to himself since Sasuke could not see his face.

"Fine! I'll do it!" Sasuke cried, mumbling under his breath as he added. "Whatever I'm supposed to do….."

Sasuke was amazed to find that even though he was now a considerable distance away, Orochimaru had heard everything he had said. "Ah~, excellent then…...Go wherever you need to go Sasuke, the forest, the river, the ocean, wherever. Ask yourself, what ties do you have that block the power you so desperately crave, hmm? Some unforgotten friendship, perhaps? Or maybe….." Orochimaru turned around to grin teasingly as he spoke. "An abandoned love?"

"I don't love anyone!" Sasuke sneered. "And I don't have any friends! Not anymore….."

Orochimaru sniffed and turned back to his walk.

Orochimaru's words floated through the air, into Sasuke's ears as he spoke, making Sasuke grimace, "Clearly, Sasuke, you're lying~..."

Sasuke growled in irritation.

He wasn't lying!

Love and friendship?

Ha!

—

Fine.

Sasuke would search.

To prove his honesty, under his sensei's guidance, Sasuke began to wander off.

When he found nothing, he could return and force Orochimaru to find another way to teach him.

Sasuke crossed the river.

He picked his way through the forest.

It was evening by the time the Uchiha heir arrived outside the gates of Konoha.

The sun had just set and the moon was slowly rising in the sky.

Sasuke scowled as he silently walked into the village, as easily as a shadow.

Sasuke meandered through the empty streets, turning his face away from Ichiraku's ramen shop.

That was….

That had always been Naruto's favorite restaurant.

Sasuke just narrowed his eyes and moved on.

So what?

What did he care about Naruto's favorite places?

What did he care about Naruto?

He didn't care…...

As that hateful thought passed through Sasuke's mind, he flinched as the burn on his arm throbbed with pain.

Sasuke grit his teeth in annoyance.

He paused for a moment…

Was that it then?

Was that what the block was?

Had some part of him still held onto his friendship with Naruto?

Or….

Sasuke squinted up at the building he now found himself standing directly in front of.

This was….

This was where Sakura lived, or at least…... it used to be.

He was sure a lot had changed over the years, she may have moved.

As his burn stung with pain again, Sasuke clamped his hand over his arm before he stealthily began to climb a tree beside the tall building.

Maybe looking out over the village would give him a better idea of what or who he should be focusing on.

Arm out…

Leg out…..

Grip.

Pull.

Limb by limb, Sasuke began to make his way up the tree.

Until he found himself stopping suddenly….

Light poured from a window onto a tree limb, falling over Sasuke.

The window was closed but the blinds were open.

The pain in Sasuke's burn settled down to a low, constant smoulder and maybe it was that, or something else, something inside Sasuke that made him turn his head and look into the window…

Sasuke's narrowed onyx eyes widened.

"Sa….ku…...ra…" Sasuke said softly, in surprise.

Yes, apparently, not everything had changed with the passing years.

Sakura still lived there, in that building.

Through the window, Sasuke saw her, Sakura, walking around in her red nightgown, talking on the phone.

The smoulder in Sasuke's burn ebbed away for a moment as he suddenly found himself feeling spacey, disoriented.

He was focused on looking at Sakura.

His eyes scanned over her pink strands of hair, vibrant and full.

It had grown longer…

Sakura's face was as soft and peaceful as ever.

Sasuke watched her emerald green eyes light up as she smiled and laughed with whoever she was talking to on the phone.

Sasuke's scowl suddenly found its way back to his face and his burn scorched with pain again.

For a moment, his thoughts flashed back to the day he had left Konoha….

Sasuke remembered Sakura's desperate pleas, her tears of despair at losing him, her mournful declaration of love…

Pathetic.

It was pathetic.

Like Sasuke could ever care about someone so….

Annoying.

Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts as the pain doubled in the burn on his arm.

He glanced down at his wound and furrowed his brow.

No, no way.

But….

Still…...

He noticed that he was….angry, in the tree, watching Sakura.

Why?

Was it because she seemed so happy?

Was it because he wanted to be happy too?

…..Somewhere deep inside?

That anger…

Was it a little bit of jealousy?

Could Sasuke be jealous that Sakura had found a way to be….happy….without him?

Sasuke snarled as he watched Sakura sit the phone down on the receiver when her conversation ended.

He saw her stretch and climb into bed.

The pinkette cuddled under the covers.

The Uchiha heir kept his eyes on her, watching silently.

Sasuke waited until she fell asleep.

He gnashed his teeth at the pleasant smile on her face.

Carefully but forcefully, Sasuke opened Sakura's window.

A few loose cherry blossoms blew into the room with Sasuke as he entered silently.

Sasuke crept over and gracefully perched himself on Sakura's bed, looking down at her as she slept.

Sakura moved gently in her sleep, blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked at the foot of her bed.

Sasuke watched Sakura's body undulate under the sheets as she stirred…...

He noticed his burn seemed to feel a little better….

He decided to experiment.

Silently, Sasuke crept closer and closer, until he was lying on top of the covers directly beside Sakura.

There was only a little tingle left in his arm now…..

Slowly, gently, he reached out a hand…..

Sasuke gently laid his hand on Sakura's exposed shoulder.

Onyx eyes widened.

The pain ceased completely.

Sasuke removed his hand.

The tingling returned…

Sasuke stood and walked back to the window.

The pain in his injured arm came on full force again.

Sasuke hissed in frustration.

What did this mean?!

It was impossible for Sakura to be the block!

Someone as useless as her standing in the way of the power he so coveted?!

Sasuke smirked in the darkness.

Heh.

No…surely not….but there had to be _some _reason the pain stopped around Sakura.

Maybe she knew something he didn't…..

Sasuke had heard rumors that Sakura had been trained as a medical nin…..

Sasuke turned to look at the pinkette once more.

Useless.

Slowly, an idea bloomed in Sasuke's mind….

Useful…..

Perhaps Sakura could help him be able to learn this new jutsu and advance towards his ultimate goal.

Sasuke took a few ominous steps back towards Sakura's bed.

Years ago, she had said she'd do anything she could to help him get his revenge…..

Sasuke smirked.

Surely, then, Sakura wouldn't mind…...if Sasuke just…._borrowed her, _for a while.

—

The moon was high and the hour was late as Sasuke carried the still-sleeping Sakura out of Konoha, into the forest, and across the river…..

Sakura slept on even when Sasuke knocked on the door of Orochimaru's current hideout.

The snake sannin himself answered with a grin, glancing down at the unconscious woman in Sasuke's arms,"Oh? Did you find a pet while you were gone, Sasuke?"

Sasuke made a noise of disgust. "Tch, no. But I may have found an answer. I need to borrow a room."

Orochimaru opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Sasuke to enter the dark, foreboding place with Sakura in his arms. "Anything for my favorite student. Just don't make a mess."

As Orochimaru said that, Sasuke felt a surge of unexplainable rage shooting through his body while pain gripped his burned arm.

Why?!

Sasuke glared down at Sakura as he carried her down the hallway.

Sasuke didn't know why this was happening…

Sasuke didn't know what he would have to do to find out…

But Sasuke did know one thing, even after all these years, Sakura was still _so _annoying.


	2. Chapter 2 - Blossom of Strength

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy!**

—

The following morning, Naruto went to meet Kakashi by the river for breakfast, just as they had all agreed the day before.

Sometimes the trio met for a meal to reminisce or to prepare for a mission.

Whether it was serious or lighthearted, it always felt good to have the remainder of team seven together again.

That morning, Naruto was not surprised that Kakashi was running behind.

Although, the jinchuriki did raise an eyebrow at Sakura's tardiness.

That was unlike his friend.

Sakura was usually….punctual.

Some time later, when Kakashi finally arrived, Naruto ran up and asked him worriedly. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Is Sakura not with you?!" Naruto asked.

Kakashi blinked. "No…" He replied. "Why would Sakura be with me?" Kakashi asked Naruto, a little unsure.

"Sakura's always on time, but I haven't seen her this morning…." Naruto said, squinting his eyes as he thought. "I think we should go to her apartment and check on her."

"Alright." Kakashi nodded.

The two began to walk back towards the part of the village where Sakura lived.

Naruto and Kakashi made their way through the crowded streets of Konoha in tense silence.

"Do you think she's sick, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as they reached Sakura's building.

"I hope not." Kakashi replied while they climbed the stairs.

The two found Sakura's apartment number and Naruto eagerly knocked on the door. "Hey Sakura! Are you in there?! Are you ok?! I hope you didn't oversleep!"

Naruto stepped back and waited with Kakashi for a moment.

It wasn't like Sakura at all to just not show up for an arranged meeting.

If the pinkette wasn't sleeping and she wasn't in bed, where could she be?

—

Back at Orochimaru's hideout, the morning sun didn't wake the captive pinkette, since there were no windows around.

Sasuke grimaced down at Sakura, watching her sleep.

He had decided that he would allow her to wake naturally.

That may make the pinkette more docile.

Not that the Uchiha heir intended Sakura to refuse his request….

Sasuke actually expected Sakura to be overjoyed to see him when she woke.

Sasuke fully intended Sakura to fall blubbering at his feet and work for him as obediently as a dog.

But…..

Orochimaru had taught Sasuke to prepare for anything, no matter one's expectations.

As a precaution, the Uchiha heir had clasped Sakura's wrists and ankles in chains as she laid on a small, makeshift bed.

Sasuke shifted on his feet anxiously.

Soon, Sakura would wake and then Sasuke could finally ask her what he wanted to know.

If he was fortunate, Sakura would cooperate easily.

Sasuke could figure out why his injury felt better near her and what this stupid block was….

If Sakura refused, well, then Sasuke would have to use more, _convincing _methods to persuade her.

Why was she not awake yet?!

How long had Sasuke been there, watching her, waiting?

He felt like the night had lasted an eternity for some reason.

Sasuke's stomach growled.

The Uchiha heir remembered that he hadn't eaten anything since the day before.

Sasuke stared at Sakura.

The chains were enough to hold one as weak as her.

Sasuke could go grab a rice ball and then she should be awake.

Yes, food would be nice…..

Besides, it was hard to torture people on an empty stomach.

Sasuke turned and walked towards the door in the small room.

Before he left, Sasuke cast Sakura one last glance as she lay on the bed.

The pinkette's face was calm and relaxed, her long pink locks fanned out around her.

Innocent….

Vulnerable…

Sasuke grit his teeth as he closed the door.

It wasn't like it meant anything, no, of course not…..but Sasuke had to admit…

Sakura did look good in chains~.

—

"I say we go in." Naruto suggested to Kakashi.

The two had been waiting outside and knocking on Sakura's door for almost fifteen minutes with no answer.

Not a shout.

Not a thump.

Nothing.

At this point, even Kakashi was getting a bit concerned.

"I think you're right, Naruto, let's pick the lock." Kakashi nodded.

That would be easier and better than kicking the door down.

Using a small tool on hand, the pair fiddled with the lock for a moment and then, finally, the door sprang open.

"Sakura?" Naruto called as he and Kakashi stepped into her apartment. "Sorry, to barge in on ya like this, but me and Kakashi-sensei just got a little worried."

No answer.

Naruto and Kakashi began to look around, searching for Sakura, or at least, a clue.

The living room and kitchen area were empty but intact.

The bathroom looked alright.

There were no signs of the pinkette anywhere.

There were also no signs of a struggle either

Finally, they checked the bedroom…..

Nothing.

As they stood in the empty bedroom, the only thing that Naruto and Kakashi noticed was the open window, through which Sakura blossoms were still blowing in and out of the room.

"What do you think happened, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure, but look…." Kakashi said, pointing over to Sakura's bed.

The sheets had been folded down in half, while the other end of the blanket lay wrinkled, as if someone had been lying on top of the covers.

Naruto blinked.

"Do you think…...someone took Sakura?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Well…..I'm not sure. But at this point, it may be a possibility. Let's ask around the village first and see if anyone's seen here. We don't want to jump to conclusions." Kakashi said.

"Right! We'll find Sakura, believe it!" Naruto declares confidently as the pair headed out of Sakura's apartment, locking the door behind them after they closed the open window.

Naruto and Kakashi both thought to themselves as they began to run up and down the streets, questioning Konoha's citizens.

If no one had seen the pinkette, they would need to gather a search party immediately.

Had Sakura really been abducted?

If that was so, then the real question was….by whom?

Sakura didn't have any personal enemies that Naruto or Kakashi knew of…...

Naruto scowled as a particularly far-fetched idea entered his mind.

Surely it hadn't been by…..Sasuke?

—

After Sasuke finished eating his rice balls, he walked back to the room that he was holding Sakura in.

Sasuke turned the door knob slowly, wondering if she was awake yet.

The light from the hallway fell over the dark room and Sasuke blinked in surprise at finding the bed empty.

His eyes widened.

That must mean…..!

_Clang!_

Sasuke struggled to retain his consciousness as something hard and cold was slammed against his head from behind.

"Sasuke…?" Sakura gasped in disbelief behind him.

Sasuke felt his eyes roll in his head, struggling to see through blurred vision as Sakura stepped in front of him.

"Sa…..ku…...ra…" Sasuke growled, fighting through his still-spinning haze, he hauled himself to his feet, trying to get a better view of what was going on in the shadowy room.

"Why did you bring me here, Sasuke?" Sakura asked tensely, standing back in a defensive position.

She wasn't overjoyed to see him.

If she was, it didn't show.

The chains that held her ankles she had managed to remove, the chains around her wrists, she kept on, cutting out the middle so they could now be swung independently and used as weapons.

It didn't look like Sakura was going to fall down at Sasuke's feet….

As Sasuke felt a wave of dizziness wash over him from his throbbing head, he feared the opposite may end up happening.

"I need your help, Sakura." Sasuke managed to say with a smile that was far too sweet.

"I'm not going to help you or Orochimaru with anything! Not unless you come with me back to Konoha and act like you have some sense again!" Sakura cried as she struck out with one of the chains.

Lazily, Sasuke managed to avoid the blow as he staggered out of the way.

Sakura swung her chains again.

Sasuke was very irritated at her response.

"I don't care if you _want _to help me or not, Sakura! You won't leave this place until I get what I need from you!" Sasuke growled.

_Clang!_

Those were the last words Sasuke spoke before Sakura landed a blow right to Sasuke's jaw, knocking him on the floor.

As Sasuke started to black out, Sakura scowled down at him and hissed, "We'll see about that, Sasuke. I'm not the same little girl who begged you to stay. Time has passed, things have changed now."

Sasuke vaguely heard Sakura walking out of the room as his eyes rolled back into his head.

No.

No!

This wasn't the way this was supposed to work!

Sakura was frail and timid. She was pathetic and useless.

Weak…..

She wasn't supposed to fight back!

She certainly wasn't supposed to beat him up and leave him in a heap while she escaped!

Sasuke had one final thought as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Yes, it was true…..things had changed.

Sakura was actually _more _annoying now than she had ever been!

—-

The pinkette left the room she had been imprisoned in and began to dash down the hallway of Orochimaru's hideout.

She tried at least, until the snake sannin stepped right in front of her, blocking her path.

With an evil grin, he asked Sakura with a purr, "Ah~. Sasuke's new toy. Now where do you think you're going?"


	3. Chapter 3 - Snakes

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

"Hey, let me go!" Sakura screamed as Orochimaru dragged her through the dark hallway.

The snake sannin sighed in irritation. "Do not anger me, girl. I can tell them to bite on a whim." Orochimaru warned.

Orochimaru did not have any chains or handcuffs with him when he met Sakura by surprise a few moments ago. So, the resourceful sannin quickly performed a jutsu which left large, green snakes coiled around Sakura's waist, ankles, and wrists.

The snake around her waist was squeezing particularly tight and it kept inching its head slowly up her body, as if it were eyeing her pale throat.

Sakura glared into the snake's cold, reptilian eyes as they went along. "What do you want with me, anyway, Orochimaru?"

"Hmm?" Orochimaru asked in a bored tone, glancing back at Sakura briefly. "Oh, _I _want nothing from _you. _Bringing you here was Sasuke's idea entirely. What he's interested in learning from you, I'm not entirely certain, but since he appears incapable of proceeding," Orochimaru paused as they came to a door and he pushed it open. "I'll be happy to _extract_ some information myself." Orochimaru finished with an evil grin.

Sakura bravely scowled at him but her face fell in dread and horror as she turned her head and looked around the room.

Lots of machines…

Lots of wires…

Metal tools.

Scalpels.

Drills.

Books.

A lab table.

This was…..this was one of Orochimaru's…...experimentation chambers.

"You don't even know what Sasuke's looking for!" Sakura protested as Orochimaru dragged her over and pushed her down onto the cold steel of the lab table.

"That's true, but in my lifetime, I've learned there's _something_ to be learned from _everything._ So, I suppose I'll just dig around for a bit until I find something really _interesting_." Orochimaru chuckled as he looked over on a nearby tray and picked up a very sharp, very metallic knife.

Sakura felt a cold sweat break out on her skin as she struggled hopelessly against the grip of the constricting snakes. Since her hands and legs were bound, there was no hope of using her strength or performing a jutsu.

Orochimaru stood over top of her, leering eerily as he moved the hand down that held the knife.

Sakura shuddered, squinting her eyes shut.

She knew there was no escape.

Not like this…

Not from this…..

Just as the metal knife was about to pierce the creamy surface of sakura's pale skin, a voice came from the door. "Hey! I _told _you I just needed a room. What are you doing?"

The knife stopped, hovering above Sakura's flesh, as Orochimaru looked to see who had spoken.

"Well, well, well, it seems that I may not have to cut you open to make things interesting." Orochimaru grinned at Sakura.

From where she lay on the table, Sakura looked over to see Sasuke, standing there in the doorway, rubbing his bruised jaw. "I didn't bring her here so you could do…..whatever it is you do…...on her…..or….to her." Sasuke scowled at his sensei.

"Do forgive me, Sasuke." Orochimaru grinned. "You see, when I saw you laying there, beaten by your own girlfriend, I simply felt a need to offer a helping hand."

Oh…..

So that's why Orochimaru had been lurking in the hallway, to block Sakura off from her escape.

Sakura wanted to call out to Sasuke, to blush at Orochimaru's words, but she didn't.

Time had passed and she had gotten stronger in many ways.

No.

Instead, Sakura stayed silent and maintained her narrowed stare as her eyes flickered back and forth between both Sasuke and Orochimaru.

Sasuke growled at his teacher. "She's not my girlfriend! And she didn't beat me! She cheated! I…..I underestimated her abilities, that's all, I won't make the same mistake again."

"Very well, Sasuke." Orochimaru grinned.

The eeriest sannin snapped his fingers and the snakes slithered off of Sakura, allowing the pinkette to sit up and slide off of the table.

"Sakura, come with me." Sasuke commanded.

Sakura wanted to flee and make her escape, but she knew that with Orochimaru standing within arm's reach, that still wasn't an option right now.

"Why should I go anywhere with you?" Sakura retorted, glaring at Sasuke.

The two exchanged a mutual scowl for a tense moment, while Orochimaru stood, watching them with an amused smile.

"Should I put the snakes on again, Sasuke?" Orochimaru asked pleasantly.

The Uchiha heir shot his teacher a look of disapproval.

Then Sasuke turned his eyes back to Sakura.

"Fine." Sasuke frowned at Sakura, crossing his arms. "Since you want to stay here so badly, I'll leave you two alone." Sasuke said as he turned and started to walk out of the exam room.

He had no intention of leaving Sakura alone with his evil sensei, of course.

But Sasuke knew that proposition would make Sakura follow him, if nothing else would.

Sakura took one look at Orochimaru. He flashed her an eerie smile as his knife glinted.

Sakura bounded after Sasuke an instant later.

"Hey! Sasuke! You can't just leave me here!" Sakura shouted angrily as she pursued Sasuke down the hall.

Alone now in his laboratory, Orochimaru took a minute to muse on why Sasuke could have brought the girl here.

Surely she wasn't the block in Sasuke's path to more power?

Hmm…..

If Sakura was the one who was stopping Sasuke from descending further into darkness….

That meant he cared for her, in some small way, at least…

Orochimaru found that intriguing.

While he thought, one of Orochimaru's green snakes slithered up the steel table leg and hissed at him.

Orochimaru smiled and lifted a hand, gently petting the top of the reptile's head as he spoke. "Well, if she's what's in Sasuke's way, we'll just have to destroy her, after all, won't we?" Orochimaru asked with a sly grin.

Orochimaru smirked.

It would be very interesting to watch Sasuke lose the last person alive he cared about in some small way.

Yes, that would be _quite interesting_, indeed.

Back in Konoha, Kakashi and Naruto stood in front of Tsunade, in her office within the Hokage mansion.

"You're positive that someone has taken Sakura against her will from the village?" Tsunade asked, eyeing the two of them shrewdly.

Naruto and Kakashi had spent the morning questioning everyone they could find.

They had discovered nothing. It was as if Sakura had managed to disappear from her perfectly disturbed bed without a trace.

"What else could have happened?! We've looked everywhere! Sakura could be in big trouble right now! Believe it!" Naruto declared hastily, getting worked up over the thought of his friend missing.

Kakashi held up a hand, urging Naruto to calm down. "You know I'm not one to overreact, Lady Tsunade, but under the circumstances, I think we need a search party to look beyond the village. We've come to ask for your help with organizing one."

Kakashi spoke in his calm, level-headed way, but Tsunade could see the concern in his eyes.

The female Hokage thought for a minute.

Yes, Sakura Haruno was not one to run away…..

It was odd, though, that there were no signs of a struggle in her apartment…

Either way…..

Tsunade knew there was logic in Kakashi's words.

"Alright." Tsunade said and Naruto's eyes widened in relieved excitement. "I'll organize a search party immediately, but I want you two to work as fast as possible, cover every inch of ground that you can, quickly! Sakura may not have any enemies, but Konoha certainly does."

Kakashi nodded gratefully. He bowed politely, "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"Alright, we're gonna find Sakura!" Naruto cried, punching the air happily.

Tsunade smiled tensely at them and went to go gather a few skilled Shinobi.

The Hokage just hoped that wherever Sakura was and whoever she was, she was safe.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted as she raced down the hallway.

One second he had been walking in front of her, the next second he seemed to vanish.

Sakura concentrated hard, but in this dark place, with Sasuke's dark state of mind, it was difficult to detect his chakra signal, hidden under such an ominous aura.

"Sas-mmmf!" Sakura had opened her mouth to call out again but her eyes widened when she was cut off by a hand over her lips.

"That's enough yelling, Sa-ku-ra, I can hear that big mouth of yours from miles away." Sasuke growled into her ear.

He had vanished from the hallway to hide, to let her run past him.

Now he stood behind her, his hips pressed squarely against hers, Sakura's back against his chest.

Sasuke had clamped one of his palms over her mouth, laying his other arm across her shoulders, holding her firmly in place with his own body.

He wanted to have a chance to speak without her resisting so violently.

Even then, Sakura struggled against him.

Sasuke felt like he was trying to hold onto a slippery, wriggling fish as Sakura twisted and turned, writhing in his arms to be free.

Part of it wounded Sasuke's pride.

Years ago, Sakura would have happily melted against him like butter.

Whatever….

It didn't matter.

That didn't make it any more convenient, though.

As Sasuke struggled to hold onto Sakura, his mind raced frantically.

He needed to come up with a better strategy, relying on Sakura's old feelings for him wasn't working.

Hmm…

A way to get Sakura to cooperate….

Sasuke grinned in the midst of their struggle as he finally thought of something.

He bent his lips close to the pinkette's ear and whispered in a rough, dangerous voice, "Orochimaru is holding Naruto in one of his experimentation rooms. I know where the key is, if you agree to help me, I'll let him go."

Sakura stopped struggling.

Her eyes widened as Sasuke pulled his hand away from her mouth. "N-Naruto…..?" Sakura gasped.

Her heart pounded as the pinkette thought for a moment.

That couldn't be…

Sakura knew that wasn't true.

Not Naruto, no way!

But…..

Sasuke did manage to steal her from her very bed, bring her here, and place her in chains without her even waking.

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

If Sasuke was bluffing, which she knew he probably was, then she would be a catalyst in his descent into darkness for nothing.

If Sasuke was telling the truth, then if she refused to help him, Naruto could end up dead, or worse.

Sakura had no proof either way.

Sakura also had no choice.

The pinkette smiled bitterly.

"Alright, Sasuke." Sakura sighed in defeat. "You win, what do you want me to do?"

Sasuke released her and kept his frown as he smirked. "That's more like it. Follow me." He ordered, turning and walking down the hallway.

As they traveled back to the original room where Sakura had woken that morning, the pinkette wracked her brain for a plan.

Somehow, she needed to sneak away and find Naruto if he was hidden in Orochimaru's lab somewhere.

She had no intention of helping Sasuke become stronger and commit more misdeeds.

No, Sakura set her face in a determined frown as they walked.

Sakura would rather die than help Sasuke destroy himself.

Whether she said it out loud or not, Sakura still loved him too much for that.


	4. Chapter 4 - Healing

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

Lady Tsunade quickly rounded up Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino to form a search party with Kakashi and Naruto.

If her apprentice really had been abducted, there was no time to waste.

Once they were assembled, the group stood outside of the Kage mansion, looking at Kakashi and Naruto for instructions.

"Thanks for helping out, guys!" Naruto said sincerely, expressing his gratitude with a big smile.

"Yes, thank you all for agreeing to come. Now that we've got a full team, we can start looking as soon as I get tracker for us." Kakashi greeted everyone, taking a summoning stance.

The search party was a little less enthusiastic, although willing to help.

"So, Sakura's really missing, huh? What a drag." Shikamaru loafed, shuffling his feet.

Shino and Choji exchanged a glance.

Kakashi summoned Akamaru and as soon as they all related to the nin-dog what was going on, Naruto handed Akamaru one of Sakura's hair scarves he had taken from her room earlier that morning.

Akamaru took a few sniffs to get Sakura's scent down.

Once the nin-dog picked up Sakura's trail, he took off with a leap, leading the group out of the village and right down the path that Sasuke had traveled the night before.

As they dashed along, Naruto seemed to grow even more determined, now that something was finally being done about his friend's mysterious disappearance.

Akamaru raced ahead, guiding the group of Shinobi that followed closely behind.

"Yeah! At this rate, we'll find Sakura in no time!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi glanced over at his former student.

Naruto had always been painfully optimistic.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in concentration as he turned his focus back to the path.

He just hoped that Naruto was right.

Back at Orochimaru's hideout, Sakura and Sasuke stood in the room where the pinkette had woken up earlier.

The two were silently staring each other down, each unsure of their next strategic move.

Sakura was waiting on Sasuke to speak.

Sasuke was half-expecting Sakura to attack again.

They had been there for several minutes, but Sasuke had yet to say anything at all.

What was he waiting on?

Sasuke just kept staring at Sakura as if there was some sort of fundamental truth he were trying to learn by studying her so closely.

"Well?" Sakura asked him finally.

The pinkette was tired of waiting for the Uchiha heir to speak.

Whatever Sasuke wanted from her, he may as well just say it already so she could go home.

"I burned my arm while I was training." Sasuke finally said with a scowl.

Sakura blinked.

That was it?

Ok…..

So…?

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sasuke." Sakura replied.

Did Sasuke know that she had medical training now?

Was that it?

He brought her all the way out here to treat a burn?

That seemed excessive.

Couldn't Orochimaru rig something up to suffice?

Wouldn't that have been easier than kidnapping her and dragging her out of the village?

Sasuke saw the quizzical look on Sakura's face and it deepened his scowl. "I'm trying to learn a new jutsu. Everytime I take the stance, it burns me. It's like…it's like I can't…I can't complete it...for some reason." He explained with a frustrated sigh.

The pinkette blinked.

Ok….

So, still, what did that have to do with her?

Sakura stayed silent, waiting for him to go on.

"Orochimaru told me to go and find the block, whatever it was. So I traveled to Konoha, searching. I was climbing up to the rooftops when I realized that the pain in my arm stops when I get close to you." Sasuke finished, looking at Sakura inquisitively.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "So…..what do you want me to do about that, Sasuke?" She asked.

"I heard you're a medical nin! Figure it out!" Sasuke snapped.

"That doesn't have anything to do with medical ninjutsu! All of this…..all of this dark stuff, this is entirely between you and Orochimaru!" Sakura shouted back. "I don't know anything about this!"

Sasuke took a step back from Sakura as a test.

Ever so slightly, the mild, stinging pain in his arm increased when he did.

It angered the Uchiha heir.

The pain…..

Sakura's stubbornness and newfound strength…..

All of this was so irritating!

Sasuke was ready for it all to just stop, to just stop, and leave him alone.

He didn't have time for this!

Sakura's eyes widened when Sasuke growled at her and charged suddenly.

He slammed into her and roughly pushed Sakura back against the wall of the small room.

The pinkette flinched as Sasuke crushed her back against the stone wall, pressing his arm across her shoulders.

Sakura swallowed, groaning softly from the impact of Sasuke's attack.

Sasuke's onyx orbs locked onto Sakura's green eyes as he spoke, "Listen! I don't care how you do it, but you're going to help me get rid of whatever this is! I can't have you or anything else holding me back from my true path!"

Sakura looked away and chuckled bitterly at Sasuke's words.

Her green eyes flickered up to look at him defiantly, "Sasuke, as long as you still think this is your true path, there's nothing I can do to help you. Let me go. I'd hate to interfere with anymore of your _training, _which seems to be going _so _well right now_._"

Sasuke grimaced down at her, disgusted by her arrogant reply.

He noticed that the pain in his burned arm had completely disappeared when he clamped it across Sakura's shoulders.

The low light in the room glinted off of Sakura's green eyes as Sasuke clenched his jaw while he gazed at her, trying to make a decision.

Something about this entire situation annoyed Sasuke more than words.

So, it was true?

Sakura didn't know what was going on either?

Was there really nothing she could do to help him?

No medical ninjutsu?

Nothing?

Sasuke blinked.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

A strange idea formed in Sasuke's mind.

It was a crazy, ridiculous idea.

An idea that Sasuke initially recoiled at, but somewhere, deep inside himself, it actually seemed less than unpleasant….

Sasuke's onyx orbs drilled into Sakura's emerald gaze as he leaned in and closed his eyes.

The pinkette's own eyes widened when Sasuke gently pressed his lips against hers.

Surprisingly sweet….

Definitely gentle….

Sasuke held the kiss for a moment.

It took Sakura that long to recover from her shock.

How strange it was!

Sasuke kissing her in Orochimaru's hideout!

Sakura's heart ached at how badly she wanted Sasuke's kiss to be for the right reasons, given freely under the right circumstances…..

Not like this.

Not in this dark, foreboding place, not for Sasuke's own selfish gain and nothing more.

Sasuke's dark side told him to feel nothing but disgust, but a deeper part of him was truthfully enjoying the way the pinkette tasted.

Sweet and fresh…...just like sun-ripened strawberries.

Sasuke's free hand even came up to gently hold onto Sakura's hip.

Sasuke was just planning to delve a bit deeper, maybe to part her lips and explore the cavern of her mouth when Sakura came to her senses and smacked him off of her sharply.

With Sakura's tremendous strength, the blow sent Sasuke staggering backwards, holding his already bruised face.

"Why did you do that?!" Sakura cried, breathing hard with narrowed eyes as she looked at Sasuke.

"Why did you smack me? I thought you loved me." Sasuke scowled.

She could have run, but Sakura was too shocked to move.

Slowly, Sasuke took his hand off of his face.

He noticed his arm wasn't sore when he moved it.

Sasuke pulled back the sleeve of his shirt to inspect his burn.

His eyes widened in surprise.

Not a mark.

Not a scratch.

Not even a little redness.

His arm was completely and instantly healed, as if the injury had never happened at all.

Sakura noticed the look on his face. Sakura saw the flawless arm that Sasuke had just informed her was injured.

Sakura was just as surprised as he was. "Well," She said, a little flustered. 'T-there's your answer, your arm is healed. Now let me go!"

Sasuke chuckled and looked up with a smirk. "After that? No way. It seems you may be even more useful to me than I thought, Sa-ku-ra~." He purred. Dashing back, Sasuke ran from the room and slammed the door closed on the pinkette, locking her inside.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! SASUKE! Let me out of here!" Sakura screamed, pounding on the door as Sasuke walked down the hall, away from the door.

Sasuke frowned to himself as he went.

Sasuke still didn't understand Sakura's impact on why he couldn't learn the jutsu, but his healing from their kiss definitely proved that she was the reason.

But how?

He had gained a great deal of knowledge, but he still found his own ignorance a hindrance at times.

Sasuke began to make his way towards Orochimaru's experimentation rooms.

He needed to ask his dark sensei's advice about what this meant and what to do next.

Sasuke heard Sakura pound her fists against the door over and over.

Sasuke scowled. He reminded himself to ask Orochimaru to send his snakes to guard the pinkette.

They seemed to work well before…..

Sasuke could take no chance of Sakura escaping.


	5. Chapter 5 - Advice

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

Sakura's search party soared through the woods, jumping from tree to tree as Akamaru led the way.

Kakashi, Naruto, and the others nearly slammed into each other as the nin-dog came to a dead stop right in the middle of a clearing.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Naruto asked once he skidded to a halt.

"What a drag." Shikamaru grouched in the background.

"What do you smell, Akamaru?" Kakashi asked, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"The scent stops here. The girl just…..disappeared, or at least her trail did, anyway." The nin-dog replied thoughtfully as he padded around, sniffing the air.

"Surely there's something else?" Kakashi asked.

"There's always been another scent on this trail. Whoever took the girl, I'm assuming." Akamaru said.

The nin-dog took a few steps forward and stopped. "But now, from this point on, there's a single smell that replaces both of them."

The group waited silently for Akamaru to go on.

"Well, what is it?!" Naruto asked impatiently.

"Snakes." Akamaru replied.

Kakashi, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino all looked apprehensive.

All five sets of eyes widened.

"It's the smell of snakes and death. It completely overpowers the smell of the girl and her captor. Come on, they must have gone this way. Didn't you say Konoha has a rogue ninja under the care of Orochimaru?" Akamaru asked before he began to race forward.

The members of the search party exchanged a brief look and then they were on their way again.

Now, all five sets of eyes were narrowed.

Snakes and death…..

There was only one Shinobi, one sannin, who could create that sort of scent.

Orochimaru.

Naruto grit his teeth as they followed Akamaru.

Was it true?

Did Sasuke take Sakura?

Why?!

What did he want with her?!

The more chilling question was, what did Orochimaru want with her?

—

The day was advancing and although Sakura was left alone and unchained in the room, she found it difficult to free herself.

No jutsu she attempted seemed to work.

A part of her wasn't surprised.

Sasuke and Orochimaru had probably placed some kind of a seal on the hideout so she wouldn't be able to use ninjutsu to her advantage.

There were no hard or sharp objects in the room to use as a weapon.

Sasuke had eliminated all of those before returning Sakura.

Now, all that laid nearby was a small, dim lamp and a mattress on the floor with a couple of pillows.

Sakura didn't have much to work with.

She would have to rely solely on her wit and her strength.

But at the moment, that wasn't much help either.

The only thing Sakura could really do was sit and wait for Sasuke, Orochimaru, or whoever to come.

Frustrated, the pinkette sat down on the floor with a sigh.

What was she going to do?

How was she going to get out of here?

Better yet, how was she _not_ going to help Sasuke?

Whatever was going on with this "block" phenomenon, she certainly didn't seem to have any control over.

Sakura had managed to heal Sasuke's burned arm with a single kiss.

The pinkette's eyes narrowed as she thought.

A kiss that Sasuke stole…

Sakura put a hand over her mouth as a terrifying new thought presented itself.

What if Sasuke took more from her?

What if Sasuke forced her to do things she had dreamed of doing but for reasons that she hadn't imagined in her worst nightmares?

Sakura loved Sasuke, yes, of course.

Sakura always would.

But that didn't mean Sakura would just lie down and let Sasuke use her body for his own personal gain.

That didn't mean Sakura was just a resource for Sasuke to mine for his own evil deeds.

Tears of determination welled in the pinkette's eyes.

Sakura would fight with everything she had, absolutely.

But would that be enough?

Orochimaru was a master of torture and torment.

By now, the snake sannin was sure to have instructed Sasuke on a few lessons in coercion.

—

During Sakura's waiting period, Sasuke stalked down the dark hallway, going back to the experimentation chamber he had pulled Sakura from a short while ago.

Orochimaru was standing next to a small, metal table, using some sort of scalpel to dissect some kind of a dead bug.

The large, green snake still lay coiled around the table leg, obediently watching its master.

"I have a question." Sasuke said boldly from the doorway once he approached the room.

Orochimaru did not even bother to turn around as he spoke. "I may have an answer~. What is it, Sasuke?"

"I kissed Sakura." Sasuke said simply.

A moment of silence passed.

Orochimaru chuckled, "And?"

"When I kissed her, the burn on my arm, it disappeared. Why? I don't understand why she's the block. What can I do to stop it? There has to be a way!" Sasuke shouted, clenching his fist.

Orochimaru stopped fiddling with his dead bug.

His tapered, reptilian eyes narrowed at Sasuke's words.

So that pitiful little girl was the obstacle in Sasuke's path?

Well, then...

That just wouldn't do…

How was Sasuke supposed to become a proper vessel for Orochimaru's next soul transfer if that annoying pinkette stunted his growth here?

"That's something you need to find out for yourself, Sasuke. The girl's in love with you, isn't she?" Orochimaru asked.

"I…I don't know, maybe, yes. Maybe." Sasuke stammered, his cheeks turning pink despite his cold scowl.

"If someone admires you, then I find a little kindness goes a longer way than simple brute force to get them to do what you want. Take her somewhere nice, talk to her, maybe even kiss her again. Get inside of her mind and you'll have your answer." Orochimaru replied.

Sasuke's onyx eyes widened.

Kindness?!

To Sakura?!

Kindness and conversation were not some of Sasuke's strong points. Especially now, when his heart was nearly lost to the darkness of rage and hate.

Orochimaru sensed Sasuke's hesitation.

Good~.

A weakness Orochimaru could use to his advantage.

One of the snake sannin's favorite things to find~.

This was the perfect chance to weasel in a strike.

With one slender hand, Orochimaru reached out and grabbed a small, purple vial off the wall shelf in front of him.

He held it up in the air in one hand, offering it to Sasuke. "Take this with you, just in case my advice fails. It will help you and the girl to get rid of the jutsu block."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he stepped forward.

Cautiously, Sasuke took the purple vial out of Orochiamru's hand.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Just a truth serum. You know, to help her relax." Orochimaru replied with a chuckle as he turned back to his dead bug and scalpel.

Sasuke eyed his dark sensei suspiciously.

Turning his back, Sasuke walked away, headed towards Sakura again.

He pocketed the vial.

The Uchiha heir would use it if he had to, but a small part of him hoped that wouldn't be necessary.

Even in Sasuke's clouded mind, he knew that Orochimaru was sneaky and untrustworthy...

...Evil in its purest form.

Sasuke had no idea what was truly in the vial.

The Uchiha heir's instinct was right not to trust Orochimaru.

The purple vial didn't hold a truth serum at all.

No.

Instead, Orochimaru had given Sasuke a deadly nightshade elixir in hopes that he would give it to Sakura and let her drink.

Orochimaru chuckled in his experimentation chamber.

He smiled while he ripped the dead bug apart with his blade.

Orochimaru thought in amusement of the look on Sasuke's face when he watched the girl he loved die a painful death right in front of him.

It would be just the push the boy needed to get over his hang up and move forward with his training.

Orochimaru grinned to himself.

Sasuke was his prize student and his next body.

The snake sannin couldn't allow anyone to interfere with that.

Certainly not a stupid, pink-haired girl from the leaf village.


	6. Chapter 6 - Together

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

Sakura was still sitting on the floor, with her knees bent, and her arms folded over her calves, when the door opened.

Sakura felt her blood run cold with apprehension.

Who had come?

The pinkette looked up to see Sasuke staring down at her.

Sasuke didn't move.

Sakura didn't either.

"Sa-ku-ra…." Sasuke said slowly, his signature scowl fixed firmly on his face.

"Did you come back to get kissed or slapped?" Sakura asked sarcastically.

She was starting to lose her patience.

Sasuke chose to ignore her comment, although it was obvious from the way his eyes narrowed that he hadn't found it funny.

Sasuke resisted the urge to let it bother him.

He silently reflected on Orochimaru's advice.

Kindness….

Sasuke had to show Sakura kindness to get her to help him.

Anything else was just a waste of time.

"I'd like to take you some place to talk, Sakura. If you'll come with me, of course." Sasuke said quietly.

The pinkette thought for a moment.

Sasuke was just standing there in the doorway, with his hands held at his sides, calmly waiting for her answer.

If Sasuke was going to attack her, wouldn't he have already done so?

He seemed sincere about just wanting to talk.

"Alright, but if you try to kiss me or chain me up again ..." The pinkette paused and she narrowed her eyes.

"You have my word that won't happen, unless you try to run away." Sasuke bargained.

"Fine." Sakura nodded. "I won't run. I give you _my _word on that."

Sasuke nodded to Sakura.

Sakura stood slowly and Sasuke held the door open for her to pass through before he began to lead her down the long, dark hallway.

_What's up with him? _Sakura wondered silently.

Sasuke had been nothing but unpredictable and rude since he had stolen her from her bed and now he was…...polite and respectful?

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Sasuke as they walked along.

What was he planning?

—

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked his former teacher as the search party soared through the trees, following Akamaru.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi called while they sped along.

"Do you think that Orochimaru took Sakura? Or do you think….." Naruto's voice trailed off.

Naruto knew that Kakashi understood the unspoken remainder of that question.

Both Kakashi and Naruto were wondering ...,

….Had it been Sasuke who took the pinkette from Konoha?

"To be truthful, Naruto. I'm not sure. We're just going to have to find out what happened when we rescue Sakura." Kakashi answered ambiguously.

Naruto frowned, expecting his shrewd team leader to have a better hunch than that.

Kakashi didn't want to disappoint Naruto, but he didn't want to lie to his former student either.

He chose to be honest.

Kakashi had no idea why Orochimaru _or_ Sasuke would want to kidnap Sakura.

Both of the rogue ninjas' misdeeds were too numerous to count though, so who knows what kind of evil scheme they had planned…..

Apparently, this one used Sakura in some way.

But how?

Silence fell between Naruto and Kakashi again as they dashed through the forest.

Both were pondering the same questions and they were so deep in thought that they barely saw Akamaru come to a stop once again.

"It's changed." Akamaru said quietly.

The nin-dog's voice was strong and confident.

"The trail?" Naruto asked.

Akamaru nodded and turned around to face the group.

"They're just ahead, Kakashi, the girl and her captor. Right through this row of trees, I can smell both of them sitting in the clearing." Akamaru said with a nod to Kakashi.

Kakashi mirrored the nin-dog, nodding politely. "Thanks for your help, Akamaru. We can take it from here."

Akamaru bowed to the group and disappeared, leaving them on their own.

Kakashi stepped in front of the group, ready to lead.

He turned around briefly and whispered to the members of the search party, "Everyone stay quiet. Choji, Shino, sneak around to the other side. Naruto and Shikamaru, stay with me, let's spread out from each other a few feet. We'll surround them and take Sakura back. Make sure everyone puts on their chakra blockers."

The group nodded and did as they were told, engaging their chakra shields and taking their positions.

Naruto silently climbed towards the top of the tree he was closest to.

He was very careful to stay out of sight.

Naruto squinted through the thick foliage…..

Just barely…..

When he concentrated…..

Pink hair….

Naruto's eyes widened!

Sakura!

And….

Black hair…

Short…..

Naruto's jaw dropped.

The hair was too short to belong to Orochimaru…..

That meant that sitting there in the clearing with Sakura was…

Could it be…..

Sasuke?!

—-

Sakura became even more distrustful of Sasuke when he walked her out of the grim, dark hideout and into the bright light of day.

Sakura shielded her emerald orbs from the stark contrast of the sunlight at first.

Once her eyes adjusted, she blinked at what she saw.

They stood in a lovely clearing, with some strong, tall trees around and beautiful patches of wildflowers growing here and there in the grass.

Sasuke didn't try to attack her.

Sasuke didn't try to force her.

Sasuke simply walked over and laid down in the grass on his side, propped up on one arm, as if he were ready to enjoy a fine summer day.

Sakura hesitated for a moment, standing still.

Sasuke was looking straight ahead into the forest as he called back to her, "I just want to talk, Sakura."

Nervously, the pinkette approached and sat down on the grass several feet away from him.

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura.

Sakura met his gaze with her own.

A moment passed where many things were communicated in the silence between them.

The pain of longing and hurt feelings….

Hope for the future….

Despair over the past…..

"You always used to say you love me." Sasuke began, catching Sakura by surprise.

Sasuke was going to try to manipulate her feelings for him.

"I always will." Sakura admitted softly.

Sakura admitted her feelings again, but that didn't give him a weapon against her.

Hadn't she already shown Sasuke that?

A gentle breeze blew through the clearing, rustling the small flowers in the grass around where they lay.

_Then why don't you help me?!_ Sasuke thought in irritation.

"I do need your help, Sakura." Sasuke said, as gently as he could. "You promised to help me, years ago. I thought a Shinobi was supposed to always keep their word?

Sasuke was trying very hard to coerce Sakura, to get what he wanted by using a few words of kindness...

He did well.

The tenderness of Sasuke's tone surprised the pinkette, causing her to look into his eyes, blinking in disbelief.

Why didn't Sasuke see it wasn't that easy?

He really was lost to the darkness, apparently.

"Sasuke, that was before you…...before you….." Sakura couldn't finish her sentence.

It made Sakura sick to her stomach to think about all of the horrible things Sasuke had done and the heinous acts he had participated in over the last few years.

Sasuke had always been brooding and proud, but when Sakura first met him, he would have never done those dark deeds….

None of this happened before Orochimaru showed up, taking advantage of a grief-stricken child.

It was truly amazing how evil could warp someone's mind.

That wasn't really the Sasuke that Sakura knew who had done those things, though.

Of that, the pinkette was aware.

But which Sasuke was she talking to right now?

The real one?

Or the dark one?

Could both hear her?

Sasuke said nothing in reply.

He did not try to excuse his actions.

He did not try to boast of them.

He didn't care what Sakura thought of his life and his choices.

He only cared about what Sakura could do for him.

"And even if that wasn't so," Sakura began.

Sasuke's eyes lit up.

What was she going to say?

"Even if I wanted to help you, Sasuke, I don't know how. I'm just as lost as you are about this." Sakura confessed with a sigh. "May I please just go home?"

"I can't let you do that, Sa-ku-ra." Sasuke replied.

Sakura groaned in despair.

Sasuke watched her closely.

He could by the look on her face that she was telling the truth.

Sakura was clueless about this.

Perhaps then, for him, she'd be willing to…...get a clue?

"I have something that can help." Sasuke said after another long moment of silence.

"What's that?" Sakura asked.

"I have a truth elixir for you." Sasuke said, pulling the purple bottle that Orochimaru had given him out of his pocket.

"You idiot." Sakura chuckled, shaking her head.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

Was something that obviously wrong with this concoction that Sakura could see it straight away as a result of her medical training?

"Truth elixirs only work if both people take them. At least, when you have two people who don't know something to be certain." Sakura recounted from her experience at the hospital.

Sakura was pretty well versed in poisons and medicinal elixirs.

She was also very resistant to most serums and toxins, but she wasn't going to tell Sasuke that.

This was one of the few times that Sakura was overestimating herself.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru was much more experienced, and this particular "elixir" was expertly crafted.

It was deadly to anyone and anything with a pulse. It was also very well cloaked, impossible to be perceived for what it really was.

Until it was too late…...

"So then, if I take it, you'll take it?" Sasuke asked.

The pinkette's face softened.

Sasuke smirked.

Orochimaru was right, this kindness thing really went far.

"If I do and you still don't learn anything, can I go home?" Sakura bargained.

"Fine." Sasuke nodded.

Using a spare walnut shell for an extra container, Sasuke split the fake truth serum into two equal parts.

Then he and Sakura both raised it to their lips.

They opened their mouths and swallowed the deadly poison down just as Naruto, Kakashi and the rest of the search party burst forth from the trees, ready to attack.

"SSSAAASSSUKKEEE!" Naruto screamed as he came hurtling towards the couple.

Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes widened as Naruto and the others soared through the air.

They were both so surprised that neither of them noticed their pulses already starting to raise as the poison began to absorb into their bodies…

Back in his lab, Orochimaru laughed to himself, unaware of what had happened.

He thought it would be quite funny to get rid of the pink-haired girl.

But the snake sannin never dreamed that Sasuke would take the poison with her….


	7. Chapter 7 - Poison

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

"SSSAASSUUKKEE!" Naruto cried as he soared through the air. He targeted Sasuke, ready to attack and take Sakura away from her captor.

The Uchiha heir rolled out of Naruto's way just in time.

Sasuke would have jumped, but for some reason, his body felt like lead.

Naruto growled and took a stance, ready to spar with Sasuke as Kakashi, Shikamaru, and the others stepped slowly from their hiding places in the surrounding trees.

"AAAAGGHHH!" Naruto cried, running at Sasuke headlong.

Naruto braced for impact.

Sasuke was a trained Shinobi. Naruto knew the last Uchiha could hold his own in a battle.

Not today, apparently.

_**SMASH!**_

Sasuke went down like a sack of potatoes when Naruto crashed into him.

It was as easy as knocking over a pile of wooden blocks.

It wasn't even a fight.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as Sasuke fell to the ground, shuddering and shivering violently.

That was right when Naruto and the others heard…..

_**THUMP!**_

Naruto, Kakashi, and the rest of the search party looked on in horror as Sakura crumbled too, her body jerking as she convulsed on the grass.

"Kakashi-sensei! W-what's going on?!" Naruto asked with a horrified look on his face.

Something shiny and purple gleamed at Kakashi from the blades of the bright green grass.

Quickly, Kakashi picked it up and inspected it for a moment.

"I don't know! But this bottle must have something to do with it. Hurry, let's….." Kakashi started to say, before he was interrupted by an evil laugh.

"-I see the poor girl from Konoha isn't feeling too well all of a sudden." Orochimaru smirked as he stepped out of the darkness of the thick trees into the clearing.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto hissed.

The jinchuriki was sure that whatever was going on, whatever had happened, it was somehow Orochimau's doing.

Kakashi and the others braced themselves for combat once the snake sannin appeared.

Orochimaru's thin lips parted in a pleased smirk as Sakura's eyes rolled back in her head.

However, the snake sannin's tapered eyes shot wide open when he saw that Sasuke was experiencing similar effects.

Naruto had never seen that look on Orohchiamru's face.

No one had.

It was a look of...fear.

Of defeat…

"What have you idiots done to Sasuke?!" Orochimaru shouted.

"What have we done to Sasuke?!" Naruto snapped. "What have you done to Sakura?!" He shouted.

"I gave Sasuke a powerful poison disguised as a truth serum to kill the girl! The girl only!" Orochimaru roared.

Orochimaru dashed over to Sasuke quickly and began to kick him against the side as if he were spurring him to get up. "Sasuke! Sasuke! Stop flopping around like a fish and snap out of it! Our enemies are here!"

"Hey! Don't kick someone when they're down you miserable—!" Naruto growled, launching himself at Orochimaru.

In all of the chaos, Kakashi thought clearly, reasoning out what must have happened.

"They must have taken it together for some reason…." Kakashi concluded quietly, under his breath.

Naruto growled and kicked at Orochimaru but the snake sannin easily blocked him.

"Stop! Both of you! We don't have time to fight!" Kakashi called.

Naruto ceased his attack.

Orochimaru glanced over.

"I think that Sasuke ingested the toxin too. Orochimaru, tell us how to save them and we'll let you go." Kakashi bargained.

"What?! But! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined.

Orochimaru was right here!

Let him go?!

"Would if I could, copy ninja, but I can't!" Orochimaru snarled. "I stole that poison from someone I used to be ...hmm, close to, I suppose, but I'm afraid she's the only one who knows how to stop its effects! She _is _its developer, after all!"

No, Orochimaru did not have an extensive knowledge of poison antidotes.

His understanding was basic at best.

Orochimaru normally wasn't trying to save people so it was never an area he had really focused on.

Kakashi listened closely to Orochimaru's words and realization dawned on the copy ninja….

"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted. "Get the others to help you take Sasuke and Sakura back to the village! Hurry!"

"Right, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cried.

With help from the others, Sasuke and Sakura were picked up from the grass and carried away back towards the village hidden in the leaves.

Naruto was too shocked to really process what Orochimaru had said.

Naruto was just worried about his friends.

Orochimaru didn't protest while his favorite student was carried off. The snake sannin simply stood peacefully in the clearing, watching them all go with a serious look on his face.

Before he started off onto his path back towards Konoha, Kakashi cast Orochimaru one fleeting glance of both loathing and gratitude.

At least Orochimaru had told Kakashi who he needed to find to save Sakura and Sasuke.

Though the snake sannin hadn't mentioned her name directly, Orochimaru knew from the look in Kakashi's eyes that he had picked up on the hints that he had given.

Once they were gone, Orochimaru frowned.

He was worried.

"I hope you haven't drank away all your abilities, _Tsunade_." Orochimaru hissed under his breath.

He could care less about the girl, but if Sasuke, his next vessel, was lost because of this…

Orochimaru was not going to be pleased.

—

Naruto and the others brought Sasuke and Sakura to the hospital while Kakashi made his way to the Hokage mansion in pursuit of Tsunade herself.

Upon their arrival, the medical staff immediately took Sakura and Sasuke to a room and began to administer I.V's and take their vitals.

The medical nins were a bit reluctant to treat Sasuke at first, but once Naruto yelled at them, their hesitations seemed to disappear.

The members of the search party milled around aimlessly in the hospital hallway while Naruto pressed his face up against the glass window of the room, trying to see how his friends were doing.

It seemed like an eternity before he heard two sets of shoes pound down the hallway and turn the corner.

"Kakashi-sensei! Hokage Tsunade!" Naruto shouted with joy as they both approached.

He just hoped they weren't too late!

"Where are they?! Where is Sakura?!" Tsunade cried, her eyes wide with fear for her apprentice.

Kakashi had shown Tsunade the purple vial.

Tsunade recognized it right away as a very old, but very strong poison she had developed when she was scarcely older than Sakura.

Tsunade thought that she had destroyed the recipe…

A long time ago, Tsunade had discovered that the page the poison recipe was written on had been ripped out of her notebook.

She assumed she had burned it in a drunken stupor.

Now she realized that someone had simply stolen it from her…

Someone with black hair and reptilian eyes.

"She's in there! They both are! Ya gotta hurry, Lady Tsunade! They're in bad shape! Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed as Tsunade wrenched the hospital door open and ran into the room.

Naruto pressed his face up against the glass again but Tsunade drew the curtains closed while she set to work.

"Aww! I wanna see what's goin' on!" Naruto roared in anger.

He needed to know that his friends were going to be ok!

"Naruto." Kakashi called from the bench he was sitting on against the wall. "Come sit by me and we'll talk for awhile. You need to let Tsunade and the medical nins do their job, we did ours, for now."

Reluctantly, Naruto pulled himself away from the window with a frown.

He shuffled over and sat down beside Kakashi, knowing there was wisdom in his former teacher's words, just like always.

But that didn't mean Naruto didn't want to see how things were going!

—

Several hours later, Tsunade stepped out of the hospital room looking exhausted.

That poison…...

How strong and cunning she had been in her youth!

It had taken all of her strength now to win the race against time that the deadly concoction had put into place.

"Well?! Well?!" Naruto asked immediately, jumping off of the bench as soon as Tsunade stepped out.

Kakashi looked up hopefully.

Tsunade swallowed hard, her throat dry from hours without water.

"I think….I think…...we'll, I've done the best I can. We'll just have to wait." She announced tiredly.

Kakashi and Naruto exchanged a worried glance.

Naruto was speechless.

That was it?!

That was all she had to say?!

"Naruto and I will sit here then, until they recover." Kakashi said immediately.

Neither of them would sleep until they knew that Sakura, and Sasuke, were alright.

—-

"Sa….ku…..ra?" Sasuke croaked dryly in the bright, sterile hospital room.

"Sa…..Sasuke?" Sakura rasped in a hoarse whisper.

"W….where…..?" Sasuke whispered.

"Don't…...know…." Sakura replied.

Everything in their bodies hurt.

Their flesh itself ached and burned.

Their minds were hazy.

Where were they?

Why were they here?

Why was every cell in their bodies on fire?

Was this…..death?

"Don't….want to…..die…" Sakura managed to gasp, hot tears of pain welling into her eyes.

Sasuke said nothing in response.

He was a strong Shinobi, rogue or not.

It would be dishonorable for him to show fear in front of an enemy, a teammate, and especially, a _woman._

Although on the inside, Sasuke was just as afraid as Sakura.

What if he died without getting revenge on Itachi?

What would his parents say about the things he had done when he saw them again?

What if….?

Sasuke had no good words of response or comfort to offer Sakura. He was afraid that if he spoke, between the fear and the pain, he would end up screaming.

Instead of speaking, he simply reached out and grabbed Sakura's hand, clasping it in his own, entwining their fingers.

The pinkette looked down and her dry lips cracked into a wry smile.

Sasuke…..

She leaned back and closed her eyes as the monitors beeped with her vitals.

Sakura…..

Sasuke did the same, squeezing Sakura's hand as he drifted off.

Was he going to sleep or dying?

The part of Sasuke that hadn't been consumed yet by darkness was glad that whichever it was…

….At least he was beside Sakura.


	8. Chapter 8 - The End

**Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!**

—

Sakura and Sasuke suffered beside each other through the night, gasping for breath.

It was as if every second was a struggle for survival against the potent toxin they had both ingested.

Sometimes they slept, sometimes they wheezed in pain, waking up for a few seconds on and off.

Sometimes they just stared at the ceiling wondering if they were going to survive the night or not.

Tsunade had done all that she could for her two patients.

Tsunade had found the younger version of herself to be a powerful opponent, the poison had a very intricate composition.

And she had written the formula for it so many years ago….

Regardless, Tsunade did her best to help Sakura and Sasuke by reversing the poison's effects.

Tsunade had been fairly confident in remembering the antidote, but there was a chance that her memory had failed her.

Sakura and Sasuke were in and out of consciousness while Tsunade treated them.

Sakura wasn't sure if Sasuke realized it, but she certainly did…...

There was no other help available.

Tsunade was their only chance.

If the Hokage had been wrong in her measurements, then Sasuke and Sakura would both surely die.

The first time during the night that Sakura woke, she felt pressure surrounding her hand.

Warm….

Soft…..

It was a very different, comforting pressure that was far more soothing than the aching soreness from the poison's effects.

What was that?

Sakura's bleary green eyes glanced down at her hand and they widened at what they saw.

Sasuke…..

Sasuke was clasping her hand tightly in his own.

Sakura looked over at him.

Sasuke's face was contorted in pain while he slept, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Was he really holding her hand?

Was ...was she…...was she having hallucinations now?!

"Sasuke…" Sakura croaked.

"Hmm?" Sasuke grunted, shifting in his sleep with his scowl of pain firmly fixed on his face.

Hearing Sakura call his name made Sasuke instinctively clutch her hand even more tightly as if he were trying to hold onto her.

As if Sakura were calling out to him in need…

Yes, Sasuke was really holding her hand!

Sakura was in awe…...

Sasuke's involuntarily gesture of affection made the pinkette smile through all of her pain.

Then the pinkette's green eyes widened as realization dawned on her…

Of course!

It was at that moment when Sakura finally discovered why she had been able to heal Sasuke from his jutsu burns.

Although, she doubted that Sasuke realized it himself.

No…...

He probably wouldn't for a long, long time, if he ever figured it out at all…...

"You know why I can heal your ninjutsu burns." Sakura rasped.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"No." Sakura said with a dry chuckle. "You know why, you just don't _see _it yet."

"See what?" Sasuke slurred, half asleep, half awake.

He heard Sakura and vaguely processed what she said but it was like he was lying underneath water or behind glass or something…..he couldn't make himself become fully conscious.

"One day you will." Sakura said softly, glancing over lovingly at Sasuke. "Come back to me…come back to me then, Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't respond but his brow furrowed in his half-conscious state.

Come back…..?

Know…?

What…..?

The pinkette was at peace then, and she closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

Sakura had discovered all that she needed to know.

A soft smile formed on her cherry pink lips while she rested.

The aches and pains of the poison couldn't detract from the joy of learning something Sakura had longed to see for years…..

If only Sasuke could see it too…..

—-

In the early dawn, the machines that monitored Sakura and Sasuke's vitals began to beep more steadily once their bodies stabilized.

Tsunade was still a brilliant medical nin and she had done a good job.

She had defeated the youthful version of herself and won against the poison.

Her antidote was successful.

Sasuke and Sakura would live.

When they woke, they would still be weak, but the worst would be over.

Their lives would go on.

That was what Orochimaru discovered while he inspected the sleeping pair as he stood in their hospital room, having infiltrated his way into the treatment area only moments ago.

Kakashi and Naruto still lay in the hallway, sleeping fitfully while they worried about their friends.

Orochimaru had stepped right over them, cloaking his own chakra so he couldn't be detected.

The snake sannin wasn't going to let his favorite student and future vessel go _that _easily, after all…..

Orochimaru stood beside Sasuke's bed, patiently waiting.

Just as the morning sun started to rise, Sasuke's onyx eyes cracked open.

He blinked at his teacher.

"You're…...here…..?" Sasuke asked in a dry whisper.

"Come on, Sasuke, let's get you out before that awful Tsunade comes back." Orochimaru hissed, helping Sasuke to sit up slowly.

Orochimaru began to detach all of the monitors and machines while Sasuke tried to wake up and get his bearings.

Sasuke felt much better but he was still a little groggy. "What about Sakura?" He asked.

Sasuke's voice was so soft and sleepy that Orochimaru wasn't sure if he was asking about Sakura out of his concern for her well-being or because of her potential role in helping with his training.

"Never mind her, we can work around the block. I think I found a way to bypass it last night." Orochimaru replied, slinging Sasuke's arm around his shoulder as he helped him walk out of the hospital room.

Before they left, Sasuke took one last glance back at Sakura.

In a mirror on the wall, Orochimaru saw it and he narrowed his eyes.

The look in Sasuke's gaze wasn't one of greed…

It was a look of concern.

Sasuke was worried about Sakura's health.

It made Orochimaru want to roar in irritation.

After all of his hard work to turn Sasuke into a ruthless, cold-hearted brute, he couldn't let something as simple and pathetic as a girl prevent his favorite student from achieving his full potential.

But the snake sannin knew that if he didn't take Sasuke back to his hideout immediately, the possibility of that happening increased every second that Sasuke was close to Sakura.

That annoying pink-haired girl was a much bigger threat to Sasuke than Orochimaru had originally perceived.

The snake sannin knew he would have to keep the two far apart, lest Sasuke lose the darkness from his heart…

—

Orochimaru succeeded.

Partially.

The snake sannin made sure that Sasuke focused on his training and had no more contact with Sakura.

Eventually though, Sasuke took his revenge on his brother, Itachi.

Sasuke saw the true futility of his dark ways.

Sasuke turned back towards the light, back towards goodness, back towards the village.

Just as he had renounced Konoha, Sasuke renounced his rogue ways and began to travel, making amends for the wrongdoings of his past.

Once his sins had been atoned for, Sasuke returned home to live in Konoha and serve the Hokage as a strong Shinobi, making the near-extinct Uchiha clan proud.

Naruto, Kakashi, and Konoha as a whole accepted Sasuke back.

Sasuke was touched by everyone's kindness and mercy, but there was still someone that he had to see…..

On his first day back in Konoha, Sasuke went to Sakura's apartment and knocked on her door.

Sakura's eyes widened when she opened the door and saw the Uchiha heir standing in her doorway. "S-Sasuke?!" Sakura gasped with wide eyes.

"It was love, Sa-ku-ra…." Sasuke said simply, dismissing formal greetings. "You could heal me because you loved me, and I accepted it because I love you. I've loved you all these years and I've always known, I just haven't been able to see until now. My eyes are finally open."

Sakura gazed at Sasuke in amazement.

Those were the most words she had ever heard Sasuke speak at once, especially to her!

Sasuke was right though.

He had finally figured it out!

It only took him several years, Sakura thought it may take him a lifetime…...

"Oh, Sasuke!" Sakura cried, flinging her arms around him.

Sasuke closed his eyes as he cuddled her close, embracing Sakura warmly.

His Sakura…..

His beautiful cherry blossom…..

Whatever would come their way now, they would handle it, because finally they were going to be together….

Finally, Sasuke realized that he loved Sakura and that she loved him…

….And that was never going to change.


End file.
